Covid 19: Fintiri Accused of Diverting 23 trailers of rice FG Donated to Adamawa residents
Twenty three of the fifty trailers of rice donated to the Adamawa state government by the Federal government to help cushion the effect of lock down declared penultimate week by Gov. Fintiri of Adamawa has been diverted according to a statement by Umar Duhu, an APC stalwart in from the state.
The Finder reported on Tuesday that several APC stalwarts in Adamawa are now raising concerns that the government of Adamawa state recently elected leader, Gov. Umaru Fintiri, is misusing the palliatives to please members of his political party in Adamawa.
Umar Duhu via facebook post accused Fintiri of concealing about 23 trailers of 50 trailers of rice meant for Adamawa residents.
Read his post below:
It is with heavy heart that, I write on the Federal Government’s 50 Trailers of 600 bags of Rice per Trailer (50 x 600 = 30,000 Bags) for distributed to the Less Privileged People of Adamawa State as a palliative on the Covid-19 Economic Lockdown.
On receipt of this Federal Government gesture, the Adamawa State government distributed only 21 Trailers (21 x 600 = 12,500 Bags to 21 PDP Controlled Local Government Areas in the State. It gave 4 Trailers (4 x 600 = 2,400 Bags) to Adamawa State PDP Excos and 1 Trailer (600 Bags) to Adamawa State so-called PDP Stakeholders.
It gave 1 Trailer (600 Bags) to the office of the wife of Adamawa State Governor. The remaining 23 Trailers (23 x 600 = 13,800 Bags), cannot be accounted for as at today April 10, 2020.
The Governor Ahmadu Fintiri should clearly be told that, if the Federal Government had wanted to play party politics with the palliatives meant for Adamawa State, he would not have smell a single bag of Rice from the Federal Government, but for the genuineness of purpose of the APC led Federal Government and in its desire to put smiles on faces of its citizenry irrespective of Party divides, trusted the State governors who swore to be just and fair to all manner of people without ill will, have now desided to play politics with the lives of its citizens. Why stashing away 23 Truck when it’s people are wallowing in abject poverty? Why the distribution on partisan line?
The big question is;
- Has the PDP Stakeholders in Adamawa fallen below the line and turned masses in Adamawa State?
- Has the PDP Adamawa State Exco of the PDP fallen to be at per with the masses of Adamawa State?
This goes to say, all is indeed not well with the PDP led government in Adamawa State, as those who are supposed to be giving have now reduced themselves to the class of the masses / beggers in the State . What a fresh air?
Let’s take Edo State as a case study; despite being APC State, the National Chairman of APC H.E Adams Oshomole Advised that, a committee be set up to handle the distribution of the palliative. The Governor being one with the entire masses of Edo People at heart agreed with the suggestion and is represented by the SSG and a Commissioner on the committee hence, a smooth distribution went on across party divides in the State.
In the Adamawa case, some APC Stakeholders suggested for the adoption of the Edo option but, I was made to understand that, in a meeting with State Governors, it was agreed that, it should be Channeled through State Governors hence, it went through Governor Fintiri. He was expected to ensure the distribution and believing , he will be fair and just to all manner of peoples in the State as he swore to uphold under Schedule 7 of the 1999 Constitution As Amended?
I have now come to terms with what is wide the public domain in Adamawa and beyond that, Governor Fintiri has no regards and courtesy for our notable Leaders in and outside the State? But, he should not also forget that, The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the SGF and Chairman PTF on Covid-19, the only Flag Hon. Minister in Nigeria – the FCTA Minister, Governor Nyako, Governor Bindow, Dist. Sen. Binani, Generals’ “Kama, Marwa and Mana, AIG Mal Nuhu Ribadu Rtd., Several Fmr. Ministers and several others notable leaders, are all in the APC watching and are all Revered Son’s and Daughters of Adamawa State? The expectation of these Leaders that allowed the palliatives to go through Governor Fintiri was that, he will respect most of them and do justice without ill will.
In my capacity and that of many APC Stakeholder in Adamawa State, we are disappointed and condemned in its entirety the procedure adopted to sideline APC Members from the distribution module in Adamawa State. Where is no one from the APC divide is eligible to be on the committee to distribute the palliative. Rather than doing the right thing, it has gone political and fully the ways of PDP. They solely handled the distributions at State, LGA and Unit levels with only 3 or less bags of Rice per polling Unit.
It is therefore pertinent for Our Leaders to know that, the APC family is watching on how APC affairs are handled in Adamawa State and Nationally.
Just recently the Federal Government also distributed to over 4,000 beneficiaries, the sum of N20,000 each as palliative in Lamurde and Guyuk LGAs, whilst we all know and it is on record, these two LGAs have never voted for APC since inception. But, still our Leaders allowed Federal Government to pilot the distribution of monies in them over the LGAs where APC has been winning elections with wider margins.
For all my life as a party faithful, I have never seen a thing like this where APC Leaders will abandone their foot soldiers and provide support to the opposition, to continually humiliate and kill their own party.
Umar Duhu (Dr.)
Writes from Abuja, Nigeria.